Contemporary Bathroom Design

It’s time for a makeover! Whether you’re buying, selling, or just want to update that late ‘80s powder room a bathroom remodel provides great return on investment. Remodeling’s 2016 Cost vs. Value Report shows a nation-wide 65.7 percent ROI for bathroom remodels, while areas like the Pacific region, bring back 76.2 percent. The numbers are on your side, it’s time to stop the bathroom suffering.

Alex, Paul, and Leo share their remodeling expertise to prep you for your bathroom redo. Because you might as well love your loo.

What are the financial benefits of a bathroom remodel?

The bathrooms and kitchen are the primary rooms a prospective buyer looks at when purchasing a home, explains Leo. Remodeling a bathroom, updating its features, and even reconfiguring the floor plan can greatly increase the return on investment of your real estate investment. Besides improving the appearance of the room, shares Paul, you improve the functionality of the room. In addition to the value it adds to the home, a space that accommodates you and your family is important for daily life.

How long does the average job take and what are the most common remodels?

There are typically 3 phases to any remodeling and construction project, shares Leo. The planning and permitting phase, the construction phase, and the punch list finalization phase. The planning and permitting phase varies from city to city due to different procedures in each building department—however, the average time for this phase is 3-4 weeks, he explains.

The construction phase can also vary depending on if the remodel is a straight same-for-same replacement, or if plumbing fixtures and electrical devices are being added or relocated. The average length of a full bathroom remodel—taking into consideration inspections—could take anywhere from 4-6 weeks, Leo shares, citing that the most common updates for a bathroom remodel are tile flooring, tub/shower wall tiles, vanity, counter top, and lighting.

SemBro Designs and Remodeling does a lot of what they call “facelifts.” These jobs are typically completed in five to eight working days, shares Alex, while more extensive bathroom overhauls take longer.

One to three weeks is common depending on the amount of work, says Paul. His clients often start with the shower area, he says, by customizing the plumbing, tile size, setting, and design. New paint is always in order after the shower is done, he says. Next, flooring and cabinetry can be modernized with updated materials. Last but not least, the lighting in a bathroom is very important, says Paul.

How much does the average job cost?

Wouldn’t you know, there is no average job! The remodelers share the ranges of what can commonly be expected.

Most jobs we handle cost between $10,000 and $15,000, shares Alex.

The baseline for a bathroom remodel averages around $3,500, according to Paul. More frequently, a bathroom remodel can cost between $5,000 and $10,000. I personally have been involved in bathroom remodels that have cost $22,000, says Paul.

The average bathroom remodel could cost anywhere from $6,500 – $12,250, depending on size, scope, and materials used, says Leo.

The moral here? Be upfront in your requests about budget and desired outcomes.

What happens from start to finish once someone books your quote with SemBro Designs?

First, we schedule an onsite visit to make sketches, take photos, discuss scope of work, and materials, explains Leo. Then we prepare floor plans, permit applications, notice of commencement and supporting documents for the building department. We then record the NOC and submit the application package to the building department. Once the permit is issued, we perform the demolition. After the demolition we do the rough plumbing, then rough electrical, followed by framing, drywall, plaster, paint & flooring. All in that order. There are several rough inspections that occur in that sequence as well, to make sure things are going as planned. After the walls, floors, and ceilings are finished, we install the vanity, plumbing fixtures, electrical devices, and trim out all of the accessories. From there we schedule final inspections and perform a walk through to address punch list items to complete, shares Leo. When the client is 100% satisfied, the project will be officially completed.

Bathroom remodels can be an enjoyable experience, says Paul. I speak with clients one-on-one by phone before a site visit to prepare myself for what they might need. After inspecting the site, I go over design options with the homeowner, then write out a specific and detailed estimate, explains Paul. Once the estimate is accepted, I send a written contract and we sign. At this point, a collection of 10% of the job’s estimated total is legal and common for a contractor to do. I find jobs go well when a client has done their homework and identifies the materials they want used. This process of material selections by the owner can take some time but is well worth the diligence, according to Paul.

SemBro Designs reviews the request and follows up with a phone call/ email to introduce themselves and set an appointment to meet and discuss a proposal for the requested work, says Alex. The proposal is written and presented to the homeowner during a secondary meeting, and if all is agreed upon, a contract is signed. From there, work is scheduled by the production manager to be completed.

What questions should someone ask before hiring a bath remodeling contractor?

Do you plan on applying for any permits? Do you have the proper insurance and licenses? Do you have before and after pictures of previous projects to preview? You want to make sure they are going by proper procedure, recommends Alex.

How long have you been doing this type of work? May I speak with past clients of yours? Who will be performing the work? How long will the process take? Will you be servicing other jobs at the time as my home? What can I do to make the process easier on you as the contractor? Get all the information you need upfront, suggests Paul, so there are no surprises later on down the line.
What do you wish new clients knew about the process?

I wish more clients knew how long some building departments take to approve a permit. Many people are surprised by the time it takes, although we do our best to communicate the timeline before any contracts are signed, says Leo.

That you get what you pay for, says Alex. And that it’s always best to have a General Contractor handle the management of the job.

Not everything goes as planned, states Paul. For example, after demolition problems like bad framing by the original home builder might be revealed. That needs to be dealt with before contractors can move forward. Another example of the unexpected could be structural water damage from previously undetectable or unnoticeable leaks. A homeowner should be prepared for these possible problems, because the total cost of the remodel will increase due to the additional work that was unforeseeable but is necessary to do a good job.

Any advice about choosing a contractor?

Unfortunately, in Ohio, licensed people will often illegally “rent” their licenses to unlicensed companies, says Leo. Look out for companies where the licensed qualifiers are not present. A second warning sign is a company asking for a large deposit up front. We only require a 10 percent deposit up front; followed by progress payments as work progresses. The key is not to overpay up front so the contractor owes you a substantial amount of work to get caught up, explains Leo. Keep pace with the work as far as payments go and request partial lien releases with each payment to be released from liability for materials or to subcontractors.

Homeowners should always check out the contractor’s insurance policies and their accreditation, suggests Alex.

Investigate the contractor’s past work and clients, recommends Paul. Good, clear communication is very important. If you can’t communicate with the contractor, look for someone else. Also, a contractor that asks for too much money up front is someone you want to stay away from.

Where can clients save money on a bathroom remodel?

Find a contractor that does most of the trades himself, recommends Paul. Although it’s not easily accomplished—because it is difficult to be good at more than one trade—it will reduce the cost of having a general contractor subcontract out to multiple companies to tackle various parts of the project. Price shopping is very important when it comes to the materials. Local retailers are the best places to buy your materials, opines Paul, because you don’t have to pay for shipping costs and there are fewer problems if a return needs to occur.

Select materials that are within a budget you can afford, suggests Leo. The actual rough work and labor will always be more or less a fixed price, but the costs can jump substantially if you select really expensive tiles, vanities, and fixtures are selected.

Alex agrees that when the client purchases their own materials it’s a cost-saver, but warns against doing so without the guidance of a professional contractor.
Where should someone absolutely not cut financial corners in their remodel?

All three resoundingly agree that you should never cut financial corners when hiring a reputable, licensed contractor. Someone who is not skilled can damage your home or your materials, costing you more money in the long run. Do your research to avoid sorrow later.

The bathroom is one of the most important and most used rooms of any home. Here are some Bathroom Mold Inspection Tips for your Home. Everyone in a given household uses the bathroom multiple times a day which results in plenty of water being used on a daily basis. The plumbing fixtures and high level of moisture make the bathroom a common spot for mold growth which can cause considerable damage once it appears. You should always be checking your bathroom for any sings of mold so you can take care of the problem before it results in major damage. The following mold prevention tips can help you prevent bathroom mold.

1. Use a Moisture Meter: Moisture meters are a very inexpensive investment and they can help you discover areas with high levels of moisture that are prone to mold growth or water damage.

2. Check the Sink: Sink faucets are a common source of moisture that can lead to bathroom mold. Turn on the water to make sure the sink is working properly and check the pipes underneath the counter for any leaks.

3. Check the Toilet: Toilets are another major source of leaks that can lead to significant water damage or mold growth. Inspect the component parts of the toilet to make sure they are attached properly and check around the bowl for any leaks. You should also flush the toilet to make sure it is flushing properly.

4. Check Bathtub and Shower Fixtures: Turn on the water in your bathtub and check for any leaks or excess moisture around the fixtures and tub. Check the outside of the tub as well to make sure it is properly sealed to the floor. Next, turn on the shower and look for any leaks around the shower head.

5. Use Exhaust Fan: Most bathrooms are equipped with an exhaust fan to help reduce the level of moisture. If you take hot showers, you should have the fan on during and after the shower to reduce moisture and condensation.

Moisture is the biggest cause of mold growth in the home which is why it is very important to control and reduce the level of moisture in your bathroom. Performing this mold inspection will help you prevent bathroom mold by identifying and addressing any moisture issues. If you find mold in your bathroom despite your best efforts to prevent it, your next step is to do a bathroom remodel. You can call SemBro Designs for all your Bathroom Remodeling Needs. We are a leading provider of mold remediation services in the Columbus, Ohio area and we use innovative mold removal methods and technology to effectively remove mold in a non-invasive and cost effective manner. We also do full Bathroom Renovations, Kitchen Remodeling and Flooring Installation. Give us a call today 614-853-4448.

From kitchen upgrades to total home remodeling, SemBro Designs and Remodeling knows how to do it right and we love to build the confidence of every Columbus client, year after year.

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With the help of dedicated professionals, Home Remodeling, Kitchen Upgrade and Bathroom remodeling in Buckeye Nation of Columbus Ohio is a great way to freshen up the home. A Design and Remodeling Company with many years of doing what they love ensures that customers get the guidance they need during planning, vital communication during the work, and that they love the final result. If you aren’t sure where to begin with your home, Kitchen or Bathroom remodel, or you need a room addition, let a reliable and time-tested design and remodeling expert help you reach your remodeling goals. With a professional design and consultation you are practically half way there.

Home remodeling offers so much in the way of bringing organization, beauty and cohesion to a home. Many times, homeowners feel their homes are too hectic because of the busyness of the family members. But often, the issue is simply that the home is not structured to offer the highest level of efficiency due to poor layout or lack of dependable storage. Additionally, some areas may benefit from being assigned a different purpose such as an office or mudroom to help family members stay organized and focused.

If your home could use the benefits of a room addition, a design and remodeling team can help put your greatest needs into perspective and offer some ideas from additions they have done before. Whether you need a nursery for a new family member, a bigger home office or a deck for relaxing outdoors, get started with a trusted Design and Remodeling Professional in Columbus Ohio area today! You will learn that planning the expansion of your home doesn’t have to be a dreaded task that drains all your savings. With new technology, lasting materials, and superb communication, you can be sure that your room addition project will be a positive experience with results that please and serve you for decades to come.

Your design and remodeling team will make the process exciting and productive by planning out the work with you and showing you a digital image of the results before they begin! That means that regardless of how simple or complex your home improvements are, the process will give you confidence during every step of the work. Once your project is complete, you will receive all final warranty paperwork and lien waivers. Your project will be professionally photographed, and you will start to really enjoy your new space for many years to come!

Bathroom Remodel, Mid-range

Average Cost: $16,724

Bathrooms are four of the five most expensive Cost vs. Value projects ranked by cost per square foot. Bathroom Remodeling and renovation doesn’t have to be costly, it is all up to you and how much comfort you need in your new bathroom. That said, fixture prices are reasonably consistent across manufacturers. Keep in mind that while high-end fixtures and fancy tile can bust the budget, it’s labor you will pay the most for in these small spaces.

Ceramic tile: For the shower surround, we found 4-inch square ceramic tile for as little as 8 cents each, but double that if you want something other than plain white, and continue up to $13 per square foot, including accent tile for $1 or more each. On the floor, 12-inch square ceramic tile ranges from less than $1 per square foot to more than $5 per square foot for slate-look or patterned tile. Clients who want glass, natural stone, metal, or specially formatted designs can easily top their tile allowances.

Bathtubs: This bathroom project calls for a 60-by-30-inch alcove tub, which we found for as little as $220 for acrylic or $550 for porcelain-on-steel. Both materials topped out at around $1,500, with no bells or whistles. Add jets or other therapies and $1,500 can become the starting price.

Toilets: A quick $100 will buy the specified “standard white toilet” for your bathroom, but what does “standard” mean? One piece or two? Gallons per flush? Some design flair? Generally, two-piece toilets cost less than one-piece units, though either can be had for less than $250. Higher-price units can run $650, though we found some ornate designs priced as high as $1,400.

Major Kitchen Remodel, Mid-range

Average cost: $56,768

The heart of the home is no place to skimp, but a major kitchen remodel doesn’t have to break the bank. High-ticket items, such as cabinetry and appliances, make up the largest chunk of the project cost but also allow for the most savings. Meanwhile, fixtures like sinks and faucets have smaller price tags but can quickly add up in cost. Here are some price ranges we found for the kitchen. Remember, lower-cost solutions, such as cabinet refacing and countertop resurfacing, broaden the price ranges even more. We do not recommend retouching for a few reasons that you can read about here.

Semi-custom cabinetry: $15,000 to $50,000 for 30 linear feet of cabinetry and a 3-by-5-foot island. Based on these numbers, outfitting the kitchen with top-of-the-line semi-custom cabinets costs almost as much as the entire national average project cost.

Appliances: Like kitchen cabinetry, this category can vary widely. Homeowners who want the basics can spend as little as $2,500, while high-end customers can spend six times that on the refrigerator alone.

Laminate countertops: Look for $20 per square foot for standard styles, to $40 per square foot for materials using the latest imaging technologies. Are you dead-set on granite? You will have to double that price range. Granite comes in many different styles, and depending on the region it comes from, the starting price ranges in the $40 per square foot and up from there. Quartz can look fabulous, but it’s price range starts at $69 per square foot.

Standard faucet: Pick up a no-frills chrome-finish faucet for as little as $50. But if your definition of “standard” includes a pull-out, pull-down, or side spray, prices quickly rise. Count on $150 to $550 for models with those features.

Deck Addition – Composite, Upscale

Average Cost: $36,385

With so many options on the market, composite decking may be among the more challenging product selections for homeowners to nail down, so to speak. Considered by some deck builders to be a step up from pressure-treated lumber for its durability and longevity, composite decking has been joined in recent years by all-plastic PVC decking and other selections that incorporate varying amounts of wood, plastic, and recycled content. Product composition plays into pricing, along with board dimensions, solid vs. hollow construction, capped vs. uncapped material, and capacity for hidden fasteners.

For this category, manufacturers asked us to remind users that pricing will vary by region and that labor will play heavily into the price of a decking project. Several companies also advised considering product life cycle and life span when choosing composite decking.

Composite decking: Keeping labor, originality, and life span in mind, we found composite decking prices ranging from $1.63 to about $4 per linear foot. PVC products cost slightly more at upward of $5 per linear foot for some brands.

Railing: To complement the composite deck, this project calls for composite railing, which we found for $10 to $70 per linear foot. Vinyl options cost from $8 to $25, and aluminum from $5 to $35. Stair sections may be priced differently, and premium balusters and glass panels can run up to $150 per linear foot.

Roofing Replacement, Mid-range

Average cost: $19,528

Asking for the price of asphalt shingles is like asking how much an airline ticket will cost. Pricing for commodity building materials such as shingles is heavily dependent on the cost of raw materials, and manufacturers regularly send “price increase alerts” to their distributors. In 2014, those price increases were around 5% to 9% for roofing materials.

That said, industry professionals note that downward price corrections do happen as the market demands. Additionally, contractors can often take advantage of bulk or package pricing options that reflect discounts off list prices, but may include labor costs—which can be hard to call out from the total. Take all those intricacies into account when considering the price for a 30-square roof. Pricing cited here reflects retail figures, which can vary significantly from distributor pricing.

Asphalt shingles: Three-tab shingles will be the most economical option at as low as $23 per bundle, but architectural shingles are a more popular choice and can run from $30 to $60 per bundle. With three to five bundles per square, the materials cost works out to $70 to $280 per square. Expect premiums on cool-roof products.

Felt underlayment: For $15 to $20 per roll retail, a roll of 15-pound felt covers about 4 squares, or half that with 30-pound felt. (Expect to spend $8 to $10 per square.) Synthetic underlayments cost about $14 to $25 per square, but their peel-and-stick properties may help reduce labor costs.

As you can see price varies deeply from the run down of the most used materials in various remodeling projects. We can determine from the price point of the bathroom materials what kind of comfort you are willing to live with. The logical conclusion on savings with your next remodeling project is the bathroom. Plus the renouncement value that you receive in return on your bathroom remodel is 90% to 95% of the value. You can always find other ways that you can save on Bathroom Remodeling. Feel free to leave your comments below and read our previous post about Bathroom Remodeling by clicking here.

The Top Two Roll Top Baths for a Transitional Bathroom Design

Every well-designed bathroom has a centerpiece, a focus of appeal and attraction that draws the eye as soon as you enter the room. Usually this feature is the bath and, as it sets the tone for the overall style and atmosphere of the bathroom, you need to make your choice very carefully.

Essentially there are three approaches that can be taken when it comes to the overall design of a bathroom: traditional, contemporary and transitional. A thoroughly traditional approach will rely entirely on proven and trusted Victorian or Edwardian designs, whereas a contemporary bathroom design approach swaps these for clean lines, modern materials and innovations such as ‘waterfall’ style taps.

Transitional bathrooms borrow elements of both these styles to create a unique, quirky and fresh design. Leading bathroom experts SemBro Designs in Columbus Ohio look at the top two bath designs for this highly specific design style.

The Transitional Bathroom

Combining aspects of both old and new to come up with an eclectic and original approach that is unique, the transitional bathroom design allows for a strong traditional or modern centerpiece that compliments your bathroom’s design without having to follow the strictures of a formal theme. The wide range of style and expertise that SemBro Designs offer is perfect for mixing and matching your own take on the concept.

Here are two top bath options for creating the perfect transitional bathroom…

1. Top Contemporary Bath

Whether traditional or modern, most bathtubs have large curved forms. The Winifred Resin Roll Top Bath Tub is a modern, contemporary double ended roll top bath that simply oozes luxury and is perfect for anyone wishing to create a spa experience in their own home.

By being able to hold a relatively large capacity of water, this tub offers the potential for true relaxation from a long, deep soak. Built around extremely modern curved shapes and smooth finished edges, the Winifred Resin Tub can be perfectly matched with modern and traditional accessories so you can build your own unique design.

If you do choose modern designs, which offer practical solutions to space issues along with sleek design aesthetics, there are a number of ultra-modern ‘open’ tap designs to choose from. These give ‘waterfall’ effects when in use and are perfect for maintaining the spa vibe in your bathroom.

2. Top Traditional Bath

The idea of a transitional approach to bathroom design works both ways and the iconic Arabella Cast Iron Roll Top Double Slipper Bath Tub mixes modern appeal with tried and tested classic style for the perfect duo. This bath was featured on HGTV Bathroom Design Ideas.

By making a traditional roll top slipper bath the focal point of your bathroom; you can enjoy the ultimate in luxury bathing. A modern bathroom needs to fulfill its function in a straightforward way, but many people find that the older styles have an in-built sensuous appeal.

A totally contemporary bathroom design suite in a period home can seem quite harsh and out of place but by using a transitional approach you can have the best of both worlds.

Whether it is using chrome ball and claw or dragon feet to add finishing touches to your bath, or incorporating a modern basin in a slim line vanity unit, the choices you can make using the transitional idea are only limited by your own imagination when working with your local bathroom designer and remodeling contractor.